Cold weather introduces unique hazards that employees need to be aware of so that they can take adequate precautions to protect their safety and health throughout the winter months.
Falling down on slippery outdoor surfaces is a major cold weather hazard. Slipping and falling on an icy or wet surface could result in a back injury, a sprain, or even a broken bone.
Train your employees to take these precautions to prevent slips and falls this winter:
- Be sure to report any icy spots that could cause staff, patients, or visitors to fall on walkways around the facility or in parking areas.
- If you are responsible for snow and ice removal around the facility, make sure to sand icy walkways, stairways, and ramps immediately. If necessary, also put up signs or barriers to warn staff, patients, and visitors of slippery conditions.
- Always wear shoes or boots with nonslip soles outside on wet, icy, or snowy days. You can change into your work shoes when you get to work.
- Be especially careful when walking on wet, icy, or snow-covered pavement.
- Walk slowly and shuffle your feet on slippery surfaces. Avoid turning sharply when you walk on a slippery surface. Be extra careful when carrying packages, equipment, materials, etc.
- Use one hand to hold onto the railing when using outdoor stairways.
When a worker receives a shock on the job, electricity flows between parts of the body or through the body to a ground or the earth.
What effect do shocks have on the body?
An electric shock can result in anything from a slight tingling sensation to immediate cardiac arrest. The severity depends on:
- Amount of current flowing through the body
- Current’s path through the body
- Length of time the body remains in the circuit
- Current’s frequency
How can workers tell if a shock is serious?
A severe shock can cause considerably more damage than meets the eye. A victim may suffer internal hemorrhages and destruction of tissues, nerves, and muscles that aren’t readily visible. Renal damage also can occur. If an employee receives a shock, he or she should seek emergency medical help immediately.
When the mercury plunges it’s critical that you review your existing practices for dealing with the cold stress to assure your employees’ safety. BLR’s upcoming live webinar will help you develop successful cold weather control and mitigation strategies crucial to your workers’ well being. Click here for details.
- Wipe your feet when entering a building so that your wet soles won’t cause you to slip on indoor flooring.<.
- If you slip and start to fall, you can limit your injuries by bending your elbows and knees and using your legs and arms to absorb the fall.
Health Issues in Extreme Cold
Whether employees work outdoors in the winter or just enjoy outdoor recreation during the cold weather months, they should take precautions to protect their health. For example:
- Dress in layers of loose dry clothes under a waterproof and wind-resistant coat or jacket.
- Be sure to cover hands, feet, face, and head. (Body heat is lost mainly through the head so a hat is essential on very cold days.)
- Take regular breaks inside to warm up when working or enjoying recreation outdoors in cold conditions for long periods.
Hypothermia. If workers are outside for long periods in cold weather, they could be at risk of hypothermia. Hypothermia occurs when body temperature gets dangerously low. Windy conditions, physical exhaustion, and inadequate or wet clothing increase the risk of hypothermia. Hypothermia can occur even when temperatures are not that cold. Symptoms include cold and shivering, followed by pain in the extremities and also numbness, stiffness, poor coordination, drowsiness, slow or irregular breathing and heart rate, slurred speech, cool skin, and puffiness in the face.
Make sure your employees are safe working outdoors this winter. Join us on January 15 for an in-depth webinar when our presenter will explain the process for developing and implementing a cold environment prevention program, with a focus on outside workers. Learn More.
Frostbite. When employees are outdoors for long periods in extremely cold temperatures, they also need to take precautions to prevent frostbite. Frostbite affects body tissues and can cause permanent damage and loss of movement. Body parts most often affected are the nose, ears, cheeks, fingers, and toes. Symptoms include an uncomfortably cold feeling, then numbness, which may be accompanied by tingling, aching, or a brief pain; skin also darkens and can blister.